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Zimmermann family works to solve case
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Hoping to bring closure to their loved one’s homicide investigation, the family of slain University of Wisconsin student Brittany Zimmermann hung reward fliers around downtown Madison over the weekend.
The family is now offering a $12,500 reward for information leading to an arrest, more than double the $5,000 amount established at the start of the fall semester.
Jean Zimmermann, Brittany’s mother, said she had the posters printed Thursday night and by the time she picked them up on Friday, the reward fund had grown even more to nearly $14,000.
“We wanted people to know we had an increasing reward,” Zimmermann told The Badger Herald, adding that the fund began growing after the Wisconsin State Journal printed a feature story about life without Brittany — Zimmermann’s first public interview since her daughter’s murder.
Driving all the way from their homes in Marshfield, Wis., two-and-a-half hours north of Madison, family and friends hung about 200 posters in plastic sleeves over the span of about three hours.
The flier included new details about the day of Brittany’s murder not previously released by police, including what she was wearing.
“Honestly, I didn’t realize people didn’t know,” Zimmermann said about the fact that police had not previously released information about what Brittany was wearing that day.
According to the flier, Brittany was wearing a lime green wool coat, blue jeans and black puma shoes as she walked home from her class on the UW campus after 11:30 a.m. on April 2.
This September, the family filed a lawsuit against Wisconsin Management, which managed Brittany’s residence, for inadequate locks and doors in her apartment at 517 W. Doty St. According to that lawsuit, Brittany was home at that time because the landlord was sending over an interested renter.
Brittany could have been seen between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., the time of her murder, on any or all of the following streets: State, Main, West Johnson, Bedford, West Doty and/or University Avenue.
Joining the Zimmermann family and friends was Lou Marino, whose son, 31-year-old Joel Marino, was killed at his home on West Shore Drive late January, just a mile from Zimmermann’s apartment.
This past July, former UW student Adam Peterson, 21, of Stillwater, Minn., was arrested and charged with the homicide of Joel Marino. He is currently awaiting trial in the Dane County Jail special needs block and was recently found attempting suicide in a bathroom shower.
Jean Zimmermann said she hopes to reach Dean of Students Lori Berquam to post this new information on UW’s website.
On Aug. 15, members of the Madison Police Department and UW officials, including Berquam, distributed fliers about the Zimmermann investigation and other safety information to students moving into off-campus housing downtown, including Doty Street.
The reward is offered to anyone with information that could lead to the conviction of the person responsible for Zimmermann’s murder.
Anyone with information should call Madison area CrimeStoppers at (608) 266-6014.
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HOUSES FOR Fall 2010. All houses are on W Dayton or N Bassett. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 bedrooms. All have parking. madisoncampusrentals.com
And today city cleaning crews will remove all those posters from all those light poles.
Maybe there are better ways to share information the family wants shared than trashing the downtown with posters.
I don’t think reward posters for an innocent girl’s murder should be deemed “trash.” Get a heart.
Pshh. Lori Berquam is too busy making sure Walgreen’s places ping-pong balls a respectable distance from the Dixie cups to actually do anything important.
I agree. First Anonymous comment is an idiot. AND…the family has gotten a lot of press for doing this, so YES, they are spreading the word and helping the situation. What have you done to help? I can’t imagine the frustration for the Zimmermann family.
Donations for the reward can be sent to:
Brittany Zimmermann Reward Fund
C/O Marshfield Medical Center Credit Union
302 West Upham St.
Marshfield, WI 54449
And HOW TRASHY of the commenter who called the posters trash.
from a concerned mom:
We were appauled at the condition of my daughter’s apartment door and lock when she moved into this area of town this fall. We hired a contractor at our own expense to replace it with the landlord’s approval. Now I read this article and I’m so glad we didn’t wait another minute. Kids please do not to allow ‘interested renters’ to come over w/o the landlord - and never, ever if you are alone.